Machine for scouring wool



2 Sheets-Sheet 1..

(No Model.)

J. E. CLARK & s. G/TAPT.

MACHINE ,POR SGOURING WOOL.

Patented Mar. 25,1890. 5. 1.

(No Model. 2 Sheets-Sheet 2.

J. E. GLARK;&-S..O. TAFT. MACHINE FOR SGOURING WOOL.

No. 424,405. Patented'MaJr. 25, 1890;

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

JOSEPH E. CLARK AND STEPHEN U. TAFT, OF FRANKLIN, MASSACHUSETTS MACHINEFOR SCOURING WOOL.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 424,405, dated March25, 1890, I

Application filed February 4, 1889 Serial No. 298,616. (No model.)

To aZZ whom it may concern.-

Be it known that we, JOSEPH E. CLARK and STEPHEN O. 'IAFT, citizens ofthe United States, residing at Franklin, in the county of Norfolk andState of Massachusetts, have invented certain Improvements in Machinesfor Seouring Wool, of which the following is a full, clear, and exactdescription, reference being had to the accompanying drawings, makingpart of this specification,in which Figure l is a plan of a machine forscouring wool constructed in accordance with our in vention. Fig. 2 is avertical section of the same on the line 00a; of Fig. 1. Fig. 3 is aplan of the machine, the wringing-roller being taken off and the endlessapron being removed to show the perforated pipes at the bottom of thetank. Fig. 4 is a sectional detail, enlarged, showing one of thesprocket or chain wheels and a portion of one of the apron -drivingchains with which the sprocketwheel engages.

Fig. 5 is a detail, enlarged, showing the ratchet and pawl at the end ofone of the apron-rollers. Fig. 6 is a sectional detail, enlarged, illus-2 5 trating the manner in which the perforated air-pipes are sunk flushwith the bottom of the tank.

Our invention relates to certain improvements in machines for scouringwool, and has for its object to keep the scouring-liquor in the tank ina constant state of agitation or ebullition without any increase ofheat, as would occur if the movementof the liquor were produced by theintroduction of steam",

3 5 which could not be successfully employed for.

this purpose, as it would necessarily produce a degree of heatsufficient to injure the wool.

To this end our invention consists in an apparatus in which air underpressure is intro- 0 duced through a suitable perforated pipe or pipesinto the bottom of the tank which con tains the scouring-liquor and thewool, whereby the liquor is kept in a constant state of motion orebullition without any increase of heat, this movement or agitation ofthe liquor causing the fibers of the wool to be quickly loosened andopened up and exposed in every partto the action of the said liquor,whereby the work of scouring is performed in a perfect,

0 rapid, and satisfactory manner. I a Our invention also consists in thecombination, with the scouring-tank provided with a pipe or pipes.adapted to convey air under pressure and discharge it beneath theliquor in said tank to produce an agitation or ebullition of the same,of suitable water and steam pipes connected with said air pipe or pipesand provided with suitable valves, whereby water can be dischargedthrough the air pipe or pipes into the tank to fill the same, and steamalso admitted through the same pipe or pipes to heat the liquid to thedesired temperature, as hereinafter set forth; and our in vention alsoconsists in the combination, with the tank, of a slack endless apronrunning over suitable supporting rollers or shafts and driven bysupporting-chains running over sprocket-wheels or in other suitablemanner, said apron passing over the top of the tank and aroundunderneath the bottom of the same, and being adapted to be lowered tothe bottom of the tank before the wool is placed therein and afterwardelevated by taking up the slack between its points of support to raisethe scoured wool out of the liquor and allow it 7 5 to drain, thesubsequent onward movement of the apron causing the wool thereon to passunder a wringing or squeezing roller and thence out of the machine, ashereinafter more fully set forth; and our invention also consists incertain novel combinations of parts and details of construction, ashereinafter set forth and specifically claimed.

In the drawings, the tub or tank of a woolscouring machine, which restson the floor or other suitable support, and may he of any well-known ordesired. shape. Transversely across this tank A extend a series ofhorizontal pipes b, which are sunk or embedded to the extent of theirdiameter in grooves c, formed in the bottom of the tank, as seen inFigs. 2 and 0,wherebythey are protected and prevented from projecting upabove the bottom of the tank, which is thus left free from obstructionsand the labor of cleaning it 5 greatly facilitated. The pipes Z) areprovided with perforations or apertures on the upper side and areconnected outside the tank A with a main. supply pipe B, which isprovided with a valve (Z, and is connected with a blower ICO orair-compressor, (not shown,) whereby air under pressure is forced intothe pipes band ers as they pass thereover.

discharged through the perforations of the same under and into thescouring-liquor contained in the tank A, whereby a violent agitation orebullition of the same is produced without any increase of heat, theagitation of the liquor causing the wool therein to be kept in constantmotion, whereby its fibers are rapidly opened up, so as to be exposed inevery part to the action of the scouring-liquor, causing the grease,wax, or sebaceous matter to be quickly loosened and removed, as desired.

O D are steamand water pipes, which are connected with the main pipe Band are provided with valves 6 f for regulating or shutting off thesupply of water or steam, as may be required, and in this manner waterand steam maybe discharged into the tank A through the same perforatedpipes b as are employed for discharging the compressed air, thussimplifying the construction of the apparatus and affording a ready andconvenient means of filling the tank wit-h water and heating it by steamto the proper temperature for scouring the wool. Each of the perforatedpipes 19 opposite to the end where it is connected with the main pipe Bis provided with a blow-off cock g, for the purpose of keeping thepipesI) clean and free from obstructions.

G is a slack endless apron composed of narrow metallic strips or slatsh, Figs. 1 and 4-, which are secured at their opposite ends and at thecenter to machine-chains 2', which pass over and engage with sprocket orchain wheelslc, secured to rollers H I at the center and at theiropposite ends, as seen in Fig. 3, these rollers being supportedinsuitable bearings at the opposite ends of the tank A. The diameterof thechain-wheels should be slightly lessthan that of the rollers H I, towhich they are secured, in order that the apronslats it may rest uponthe surfaces of said roll- The chains t', with the apron Gr securedthereto, are driven by the roller H, the shaft of which is provided witha gear Z, which meshes with a pinion n on a shaft 19, carrying fast andloose pulleys, over which passes a driving-belt g, which is shifted tostop or start the roller H by a shipper-lever r, with which is connecteda bar 8, provided wit-h a handle t within reach of the operator. Theapron G extends over the top of the tank A and is of such length as torun with considerable slack under the bottom of the machine, passingthrough slots or apertures u in the floor on which the machine rests andunder the floor-timbers, as seen in Fig. 2, the width of the apron beingslightly less than that of the interior of the tank to permit it to bedropped down to the bottom of the same into the position seen in Fig. 2before the introduction of the wool, the slack portion of the apronbeneath the machine being sufficient to permit this to be done. Theroller I is provided with a crank-handle v, by means of which the rollercan be turned by hand and its motion controlled as may be founddesirable, and to the shaft of this roller is secured a ratchet-wheel a,having square teeth, as seen in Fig. 5, with which engages a pawl Z), bymeans of which the roller can' be locked and prevented from rotating ineither direction.

Immediately above the apron-drivin g roller H, and arranged to operatein connection therewith, is a heavy squeezing or wringing roller L, thejournals of which rest in slots 10 in inclined uprights 0, whereby theroller L is permitted to rise and fall to accommodate itself to thethickness or quantityof wool carried beneath it by the movement of theapron G, which is raised out of the tank by tightening its slack betweenthe rollers H I,-which is effected by arresting the motion of the rollerI bydropping the pawl 1) between the teeth of the ratchet-wheel a andcontinuing the motion of the driving-roller H, whereby the apron, withthe wool thereon, is drawn out above the level of the scouring-liquor inthe tank, the wool, after draining through the spaces between the slatsIt, being carried by the subsequent onward movement of the apron betweenthe roller H and squeezingroller L, and thence out of the machine into areceptacle placed to receive it.

The operation is as follows: The endless apron G having been lowered toor nearly to the bottom of the tank A, as seen in Fig. 2, the valvefofthe water-pipe D is opened, when cold water will be discharged into thetank through the perforated pipes b. Assoon as the tank has been filledto the desired height, the water is shut off and the steamvalve 6opened, when steam will be dis charged through the perforations of thepipes 1) into the cold water previously introduced into the tank, whichis in this manner heated to the desired degree. A suitable quantity ofthe ordinary alkaline liquor used by'wool scourers is next mixed withthe water in the tank, after which the valve (Z in the main supply-pipeB is opened. to admit compressed air, which is then discharged throughthe perforations of the pipes bbeneath and into the liquor contained insaid tank, the compressed air as it rises through the liquor produeingaviolent agitation or ebullition of the same. The wool is now thrown intothe bubbling liquor, and as it is moved in all directions thereby itsfibers are loosened and quickly opened up and exposed in every part tothe action of the scouring-liquor, whereby the dirt, grease, andsebaceous matter are removed and the scouring operation performed in arapid and superior manner. After the wool has been sufficiently scouredthe roller I is locked and prevented from'rotating by drop-- ping thepawl 17 bet-ween the teeth of the ratchet-wheel a, when the roller H isset inmotion by operating the shipper-leverr. The.

roller H now revolves slowly and raises the apron' G, with the woolthereon, out of the liquor into the position shown by dotted lines inFig. 2, the liquor raised with the wool IIO draining through the spacesbetween the slats of the apron. The motion of the roller H is thenarrested by operating the shipper-lever 4", after which the wool isallowed to drain in this position for a few moments, when the roller His again set in motion and the opposite roller I released and held undercontrol by the hand of the operator, which is placed upon thecrank-handle r, so as to prevent the apron from being again carried downinto the tank by the weight of the wool thereon. The drivingroller H asit revolves now carries with it the apron G and the scoured wool thereonin the direction of the arrow, Fig. 2, causing the wool to pass underthe wringing-roller L, which squeezes out nearly all the liquor, whichdrains back into the tank while the wool is carried forward by the apronbeyond the wringing-roller, when it falls into a suit able receptacleplaced to receive it. The centers of the rollers H L are not in the samevertical plane, that of the roller L being slightly inside, whichenables the liquor squeezed out of the wool to more readily fall backinto the tank, the weight of the roller L, as it moves up and downwithin the slots 10, being sufficient to squeeze the water out of thewool without the assistance of springs or any other auxiliary device.The air introduced through the perforated pipes 17 may be at a pressureof from five pounds to the square inch upward. It is obvious that if itshould be desired to raise the temperature of the liquor in the tankwhile the operation of scouring is in progress that the steam-valve 6may be opened and steam admitted simultaneously with the compressed air,and that water may also be admitted through the valve f simultaneouslywith steam and air, if desired, and when the air-valve is opened toadmit the compressed air the pressure of the steam and water beingadmitted therewith should never exceed that of the air. hen, however,the air-valve is closed, steam or water at any desired pressure may beadmitted.

The compressed air may be introduced cold, or may be previously heated,if desired.

The great advantage of agitating or producin g a movement of the liquorin the scouring-tank by means of compressed air instead of by means ofsteam is that with compressed air the required agitation or ebullitioncan be produced without increasing the heat to such a degree as toinjure the wool, whereas if the agitation of the liquor should be causedby the introduction of steam the heat would necessarily be so great asto injure the wool.

By the employment of a slack endless apron arranged, as described, toextend around under the bottom of the machine, and operated asdescribed, the scoured wool is raised out of the liquor, delivered tothe wringing or squeezing roller, and carried out of the apparatuswithout the use of forks or rakes, which are obj ectionable on accountof their liability to tear and break the fibers of the wool. Furthermore, the operation is performed by the apron in very much lesstime than, it can be done by manual labor with a fork, while theagitation of the wool and the loosening and opening up of its fibers bythe action of the compressed air upon the liquor also avoids thenecessity of employing rakes or other mechanism to stir the wool aboutin the liquor, as heretofore, thus also avoiding the breaking andtearing of the fibers from this cause.

It will be obvious that a pipe or pipes provided with perforations orapertures and adapted to convey compressed air and discharge it into andbeneath the scouring-liquor, as above described, may be applied to awoolscouring tub or tank of angular, circular, or other desired shape,and that the disposition and arrangement of the air pipe or pipes at thebottom of the tank may be varied as desired without departing from thespirit of our invention; and, moreover, if desired, the endlessapron maybe employed in connection with the compressed-air pipe or pipes, ordispensed with if it should be desired to merely retain the advantagesincident to the use of the said air pipe or pipes.

We do not confine ourselves to the employment of steam and water pipesin connection with the compressed-air pipe or pipes, as either the steamor water pipes, or both, may be dis pensed with and the water heated andintroduced into the tank in any other suitable manner. v

WVhat we claim as our invention, and desire to secure by Letters Patent,is-- 1. A scouring-tank provided at its bottom with perforated pipesthat discharge into the tank beneath the liquor therein, said pipesbeing connected to an air-pipe having valved steam and water pipesconnected thereto, whereby air, steam, and water, either separately ortogether, can be discharged into the tank through the samedischarge-pipes, substantially as described. r

2. In-a wool-scouring machine, the combination, with the tank A, of theslack endless apron G, mounted on suitable shafts or roll ers andextending over the top ofthe tank 3. In a wool-scouring machine, thecombination, with the scouring-tank, of the slack endless apron G,composed of slats and. mounted on supporting-rollers H. I, thesupportingchains 1 secured to said endless apron and passing oversprocket or chain wheels on the rollers II I, one of said rollers beingdriven by suitable motive power and the opposite roller being providedwith a hand crank Q),

and a ratchet-and-pawl mechanism, whereby the movement of said apron isarrested at Witness our hands this 1st day of February, one end of thetank to allow it to be raisecl A. D. 1889. out of the li nor in t1e sameby the move-1 ment of the iving-roller, and the movement 5 of said aproncontrolled While the Wool is be- Y ing carried thereby beneath thesqueezing or In presence o'f-- wringing roller, all operatingsubstantially P. E. 'TESOHEMAOHER, in the manner and for the purpose setforth. 3 (HARRY W. AIKEN.

